President Higgins: 35 years after his death, Luke Kelly’s great legacy ‘continues to inspire new generations of Irish musicians’

President Higgins has said that thirty-five years after his death, Luke Kelly’s ‘great legacy continues to inspire new generations of Irish musicians as they continue to enthral audiences at home and across the globe’ as two statues of the Dubliner were unveiled by the President in different locations in the city on 30 January.

The ceremonies were organised by Dublin City Council on the 35th anniversary of Luke Kelly’s death.

Born on Sheriff Street in 1940, Luke Kelly gained fame in Ireland and beyond with the Dubliners and in his solo career. He died on 30 January 1984, aged 43.

He was interred in St. Paul’s section of Glasnevin cemetery. On his grave are engraved the simple words ‘Luke Kelly – Dubliner’.

The first statue was unveiled at South King Street on Dublin’s southside, after a warm up by Damien Dempsey and the Dubliners.

President Higgins unveiled a marble statue, created by portrait artist Vera Klute, in honour of Luke Kelly (via Twitter)

The second, created by portrait artist Vera Klute, was also unveiled by President Michael D Higgins at Sheriff Street.

Creative landscape

President Higgins said it is greatly fitting, therefore, that this statue will stand here in Guild Street in memory of a man whose musical talent ‘was first awoken on the streets of the working-class Dublin where he grew up, and which was to become the creative landscape that drove so much of his work’.

“Luke had great affection for the people of Dublin, an affection that was returned by the many fans who gathered in places like O’Donoghue’s Pub to hear him sing the reimagined and reworked ballads which so defined his musical career.

Today, thirty-five years after his death, his great legacy continues to inspire new generations of Irish musicians as they continue to enthral audiences at home and across the globe. The pitch and rhythm of Luke’s unique voice finds its echo in the singing of artists such as Christy Moore, Damien Dempsey, Sinéad O’Connor and so many more who ensure that the boundaries of Irish music continue to be pushed outwards while remaining rooted in the tradition from which it grew and flourished.”

-President Higgins

The President told the gathered crowd that we owe, indeed, ‘a great debt of gratitude’ to Luke Kelly and the Dubliners for a ‘renewed interest in our traditional Irish ballads which has ensured they continue to live on in a rapidly changing Ireland’.

“When we listen to Luke’s rendition of songs such as Raglan Road, Scorn Not His Simplicity, and The Night Visiting Song we remain moved by the visceral quality that he brings to them, a quality that makes Luke’s version of these songs the classic one, the standard that his successors strive to reach.

Luke has contributed profoundly to Ireland’s cultural life, a contribution that is now permanently stitched into our rich heritage. This statue will stand as a permanent tribute to a man who has gifted us with such a profound legacy. Vera Klute, who has crafted this magnificent sculpture, has said she sought to reflect the ‘raw intimate response’ that Luke inspired in his listeners. To achieve this she has focused solely on Luke’s face, capturing the emotion, energy and sheer strength of feeling that those of us who knew Luke can immediately recognise.”

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